Music-leaf turner



M. A. wALnEN. MUSIC LEAF. TURNER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1920.

1,384,364. l Patented July 12, 1921.

VVE/V70@ M. ANI/AL DEN j To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

, iication.

PATENT OFFICE.A

UNITED STATES* MARCUS A. WALDEN, yor sniv nnliivcisco, CALIFORNIA.

Muere-LEAF TURNER.

` :it known that I,MAncUs A.WALDEN, a

citizen "of the United States, residing atl San Francisco, in the county `of San-Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful :Improvements in `Music-Leaf Turners, ofy which the following'is a speci- This invention relates to 'improvements in a device forA mechanically turning the leaves of sheet music.A

The primary object' of'tliis invention is to provide exceptionally simple, inexpensive,

and compact mechanism with which the vleaves of sheet music may be easily and ac rui'ately turned by the simple action of pressing a buttoiior similar device 'located within veasyreach of the operator.

"llheinvention possesses other advantages and features, some ofwhich,"with the'foref going, will be set forth at length in the following description -wherein I shall outline in full that forniof the inveiitionlwliich lv have selected for illustration in the draw-` ings accompanying and forming a part of Y the present specification. VIn said drawings,

I have. shown one form of the construction of my invention, butr it is'to beV understood that IA do not limit myself to such form, since 'the invention as expressed in tlie'claiins may 'be embodied in a plurality of forms.

mechanism.

'y Figure 1 is a front elevation of the music leaf Yturner of this invention showing in dottod lines a 'book `of sheet music in position it would appearwhen readyV to have the leaves thereof turned. 4 Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the mechanism of thisjinvention. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation ofV the mechanism,fa part being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. @is a fragmentaryplan viewpartly in section of a modified form ofv turning Fig-` 5`is a side elevation of another modilied form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The present embodiment of this invention comprises a baseboard or plate 1 whichvis adapted'to support sheet music 1, and may be mounted upon a `suitable standard not shown or placed upon the music rack of a piano. Secured to the lower edgeV of this base is mechanism supporting plate 2, the upper edge of which acts as a support for fthe other,

music to be turned.

ject outwardlyv from lplate 2 and when several pages of sheet will be moved "Specification of Letters Patent, Pafgnted July 2 1921 iippiicatin sied March-s,

71920. serial Naseaees. l

the base 1. y

' A plurality of concentric tubular shafts 3, 4l, and 5, respectively,arranged one within I are mounted vertically upon the base2 in va bearing tube 6 suitably fixed lto the base, the shaft?) being Ljournaled at its lower end ina suitable bearing 7 which atter is fixed, as at 8, to the plate 2.

Fixed adjacent tothe lower ends of the shafts 3, ll, and 5,1 are fingers 9, 10, andy 11, extending at right over said plate 2. ngers Vare bent upwardly and right angularly to provide leaflengagingportions 12 equidistantly spaced from one another and adapted to engage under the rleaves of the The portions 12 prothe inner edge of the music or a book'oi a single page, are supported upon the base 1, the page or are mounted over said portions 12, so that by rotating the rshafts 3, t and 5, the fingers b and the pages correspondin'gly turned.

angles to vsaid shafts and' The outer` ends ofjthese pages.

As -a means .for rotating theshafts 3, 4, i

and 5.,' selectively, I provide a plurality of slotsv or openings 13 formed throughV the plate2 `and base 1 A'and'under .the pointsy at which the fingers 9, 1,0, andl 11 are securedV y Pivotally mount! to their respective shafts. ed, as at 14, within the openings 13 are rocking members 15` provided with upwardly and inwardly* curved arms" 16 adapted at their ends to engage the fingers 9, 10, and 11. The free ends of these arms are. split and the split portions 17 are directed"augularly in opposite directions so as to provide a relatively wide engaging surface for the fingers 9, 10-and l1. By rocking thesemembers 15i in one direction, certain `,ends thereof will engage the fingers 9, 10,.and 11, and move said lingers through approximately 1800. In this connection, itiwill be noted that the fingers" 9, 10,'11"lie in superposed parallel relation to the plate 2, this being provided for by lugs 17 on the portions V12, said lugs depending` from the fingers and normally resting upon theplate 2.

To operate the rocking members 15, I provide flexible elements 18 and 19 respectively which are connected, as at 20, to the member 15 on opposite sides of the pivot 14C. these flexible elementsl 18 and 19 cross one another under a friction roller 21 suitably supported in bearings 22 on the -under side of the base 1 and said elements are then ex: tended toward the outer edges of the base and under similar friction rollers 23. Pivotally mounted intermediate of theirl ends in suitable supports 2i upon the plate 1 are a plurality of Vlevers 25, on certain ends of which are secured suitable buttons 26 whereas the other ends are connected, as at 27, with the flexible elements 18 and 19. These elements are extended upwardly through the openings 27 in the base 1 and plate 2. 'lhere are provided upon each side of the rocking members a number of levers corresponding to the number of shafts and turning fingers.

In the operation of the turning device, assuming that several pages of music have been mounted upon the base 1, the leaf engaging portions 12 are inserted successively under the successive pages to be turned. To turn the first page, the the lowermost lever on one side is depressed at the button end 26 thereof. In this connection, it is to be noted that the levers 25 are arranged in staggered relation, the ones nearest the operator being for the shaft 3 and the one next nearest for the shaft Ll, and so on. l/Vith this arrangement, it is possible to arrange the fingers under the pages to be turned so that operation of the fingers may be carried on without confusion Assuming that the lowermostright hand lever is depressed, the flexible element will be pulled, so asto rock the member 15 which operates the fingers 11. `he member 15 will thus rock from left to right and the right hand end of the arm 16 will engage the linger 11 and lift said finger, moving it with the page in contact therewith, throiigh an arc of 180, so that the page is completely turned. This movement is permitted since the other 'liexible eleient 19 4Vwill be pulled and will rock the lever on the other side of the device connected thereto,l to give suflicient slack to permit of the rocking the member 15. It will thus be seen that by pressing any of the buttons 26, and rocking the levers 25, the leaves of the book or sheet music may be turned, as desired. It is apparent that the device may be operated to turn from right to left or from left to right.

I may provide a plurality of page gripping members 29, 30, and 31 in the form of spring clasps. These clasps are carried on the outer ends of arms 32 which are fixed by suitable collars 33 to the ends of shafts 3, 4, and 5. The clasps may be used independently of the turning fingers or in conjunction therewith to turn the pages of the music. This form is particularly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings l have shown a modified form of page clasping device which comprises a spring clasp 34 fixed to the outer' end of an arm 35, the latter being provided with a right angularly disposed inner terminal36 adapted to engage in one of the tubular concentric shafts preferably the shaft rlhis form of the invention, is particularly adapted to turn single sheets of music and may be readily achpted to the preferred form of the invention to operate in conjunction` therewith.

l claim 1. A music leaf turner, comprising a base for supporting sheet music, a plurality of concentric shafts mounted on said base, turning members fixed to the shafts, and adapted to engage sheets of music, and means for rotating said shafts to move said turning members and turn the sheets of music, said means comprising rocking` members pivoied intermediate of their ends to the base and adapted at their ends to engage said turning members, crossed flexible elements secured to the rocking members on opposite sides of the pivot thereof, and levers pivotally mounted intermediate of their ends upon the base and connectedivith said flexible elements.

2. A music leaf turner, comprising a base adapted to support sheet music, a plurality of `concentric rotary shafts mounted upon said base, a. plurality of turning members secured to said shafts, and having their terminal portions disposed beneath the sheets to be turned,n a plurality of rocking members mounted en said base `and having their terminal portions adapted to engage said terminals when said members are rocked, a phuality of levers pivoted intermediate of their lengths on opposite sides of said shafts, fled1 ole elements connected with. certain ends of saidleverffs, crossed and secured at their other ends to said. rocking members on opposite sides of said rocking members. i l

MARCUS A. WALDEN. 

